This invention relates to a contoured layer pad, and, more particularly, to a contoured layer pad for use in connection with layers of unstable articles, such as palletized unstable articles, to stabilize the articles.
It is oftentimes necessary to move and/or store articles, and it has been found that some articles, particularly unstable articles, such as, for example, plastic containers (or bottles), tend to become dislocated (normally to tip or fall) when moved between locations and/or when disturbed during movement or while stored, including while palletized in multiple layers.
Devices directed to moving articles, particularly unstable articles, such as containers, between locations, including movement of such articles to and/or from a palletizer, are now well known, and include, for example, devices for transporting and/or controlling articles using belts, movable arms and/or flow control (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,275 (Reid et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,709 (VanderMeer et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,692 (Simkowski)), devices for supporting the articles at the neck portion of the articles for conveyance of the articles by movable grippers engaging the articles (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,571 (Born et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,698 Patois et al.)), devices using vacuum pick up of the articles (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,858,009 (Bainbridge)) and/or devices for picking up articles and moving the articles between locations, including movement of such articles with at least partial straight line movement to and/or from a palletizer (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,858,009 (Bainbridge) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,831 Hahn)).
It is likewise known that devices capable of moving layers, or groups, of articles at a first area and depositing the articles at a second area to accomplish palletizing and/or depalletizing of articles, such as unstable articles, can also include pick up and insertion of flat layer pads during palletizing operations and pick up and removal of the flat laser pads during depalletizing operations using at least partial straight line movement (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,290 (Von Gal, Jr. et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,965 (VanderMeer et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,275 (Reid et al.), with U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,290 also including at least partial straight line movement for pick up of both articles and layer pads).
Likewise, devices are also known for orienting articles and spacer sheets at a palletizer (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,877 (VanderMeer et al.)).
It has been found, however, that improvements in stabilization of at least some types of unstable articles, such as, for example, at least some plastic bottles, even when palletized on flat layer pads, are still needed, particularly with respect to preventing, or at least minimizing, dislocation when such unstable articles are disturbed, as, for example, by a side force exerted on the unstable articles when in layers on a pallet, which often results in dislocation of some, or even all, of the articles on the pallet.
This invention provides an improved layer pad that is particularly useful in improving stabilization of unstable articles, and particularly palletized unstable articles, such as containers, having a base portion and a neck portion.
The improved layer pad of this invention is contoured and is utilized in connection with layers of unstable articles to better stabilize the articles, and preferably includes groups of first and second pockets with the first pockets extending in a first direction from the first side of the contoured layer pad and the second pockets extending in a second direction from the second side of the contoured layer pad, and preferably with the first and second pockets receiving different ones of first and second portions of adjacent layers, or groups, of unstable articles.
The first pockets in the contoured layer pad are formed of a size and configuration to receive the first portions of the unstable articles (with the first pockets preferably having a size and configuration slightly larger than that of the first portions of the unstable articles to snugly receive the first portions of the unstable articles), and the second pockets are formed of a size and configuration to receive the second portions of the unstable articles (with the second pockets preferably having a size and configuration slightly larger than that of the second portions of the unstable articles to snugly receive the second portions of the unstable articles).
When utilized between adjacent layers of upright unstable articles, having a base portion and a neck portion, to be vertically stacked, the base portions of the unstable articles are received in the upward extending group of pockets in the contoured layer pad and the neck portions are received in the downward extending group of pockets in the contoured layer pad.
As is now preferred, the group of pockets at each side of the contoured layer pad include side portions that extend from end, or bottom, portions with the end portions of the second pockets being at end portions of the first pockets.
With the neck portions of the received unstable articles of reduced size relative to the base portions (as is now common for containers), the second pockets are also of reduced size to receive the neck portions of received articles, and each may be, for example, a ring, when the neck portion has a circular cross-section, extending, or projecting, in a direction away from the end portion of the second pocket a short distance relative to the distance that an associated first pocket extends in substantially the opposite direction for receiving the base portion of received articles.
As illustrated in the drawings, the base portions of the received articles may also have a circular cross-section and be received in first pockets in the contoured layer pad having a like size and configuration, but could have, for some applications, a different size and configuration with the formed pockets in the contoured layer pad having a like size and configuration (this could likewise be true for the neck portion when a circular cross-section is not required).
The pockets of each associated pair of pockets (one from each group of the first and second pockets forming each associated pair of pockets) are preferably formed such that substantial alignment of the unstable articles received in associated pockets is achieved.
The contoured layer pad may have the groups of pockets therein extending substantially throughout the entire layer pad, as is now preferred, but may, at least for some applications, have a flat portion (normally an inner, or central, portion) surrounded by one of more peripheral rows of pockets.
Each group of the first and second pockets formed in the layer pad preferably receive a different one of the articles of each layer, or group, of deposited articles, but the pockets of one, or both, of the groups of first and second pockets might, at least for some applications and normally with some resulting loss in stabilization of the articles, be configured to receive, at least in part, more than a single article of each layer in one, or both, of each group of pockets.
Unstable articles are preferably conveyed by layers, or groups, to the pallet during palletizing operations for deposit on a contoured layer pad thereat, and preferably are also removed from the pallet by layers, or groups, during depalletizing operations, and a contoured layer pad is deposited over each layer, or group, of unstable articles at the pallet during palletizing operations and removed from the pallet after each layer, or group, of articles is removed from the palletizer.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved layer pad.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved layer pad for use with unstable articles.
It is another object of this invention to provide a contoured layer pad particularly for use with palletized unstable articles.
It is another object of this invention to provide a contoured layer pad improving the stability of adjacent layers, or groups, of unstable articles.
It is another object of this invention to provide a contoured layer pad having groups of pockets extending from opposite sides of the contoured layer pad.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved layer pad that is contoured to provide a group of pockets at each side for receiving different portions of unstable articles in different layers, or groups, for stabilizing received unstable articles.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved palletizing/depalletizing device and method utilizing contoured layer pads.
With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination, arrangement of parts, and method as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiments of the invention are to be included as come within the scope of the claims.